Will the Saints fans play nice with the 49ers fans?

Summary of 28 articles · Updated Nov 29, 2012

And the 49ers still won going away. The New Orleans Saints injury report should be a lengthy one considering how injured the team was going into the San Francisco 49ers game Sunday, how beat up the Saints were after the loss to the 49ers and the short wee… (more)k as they take on the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday. This time the Saints fans get the 49ers in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 49ers were the more physical team and it showed as the game progressed, both in the way they ran the ball and in the way they put hard hits on the Saints' receivers. Steve Spagnuolo, the New Orleans Saints ' defensive coordinator, had reason to expect another run when the 49ers sent this same 22 personnel package onto the field against his defense on third-and-2 Sunday. Had the Saints won, they would have moved into the sixth playoff spot in the NFC with five games remaining after losses on Sunday by three of the other teams Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Minnesota Vikings - in contention for the spot. "We had to win," Brees said. In his second start of the season, the unheralded second-year quarterback out of the University of Nevada showed the poise, strong arm, talent and elusiveness that made San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh name him the starter over a recovered Alex Smith.

GAMEDAY CENTRAL: Saints vs. Falcons at 8:20 p.m. tonight

QB corner: Matt Ryan discusses the Saints Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has a 2-6 record against the New Orleans Saints and hasn’t beaten them at the Georgia Dome since his rookie season in 2008. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws an 80-ya

Saints (5-6) at Falcons (10-1): 3 key matchups

Tony Gonzalez can still rise up and dunk the ball. Saints TE Jimmy Graham vs. Falcons SS William Moore and LB Sean Weatherspoon: Graham has 55 catches for 595 yards and eight touchdowns. In the team’s earlier meeting this season, on Nov. 11, with Sean W

One way 49ers got the better of Saints

Before Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers had run the ball four times in four chances under coach Jim Harbaugh when using two backs and two tight ends on third-and-2 situations. Steve Spagnuolo, the New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator, had reason to …

What the national media are saying about the New Orleans Saints' loss to the San Francisco 49ers

Around the NFC West: Separating 49ers

Around the NFC West: Nov. 26, 2012 Drew Brees, Vernon Davis and Alex Smith played leading roles in a memorable New Orleans-San Francisco playoff game last season. The Saints were counting on Brees during the rematch Sunday. The 49ers won even though Dav…

Alex Smith gets left behind as 49ers move on with a new quarterback

The old notion that a player can't lose his job due to injury is used almost exclusively by terrible coaches. Good coaches play the best players, regardless of how they got their chance. And Alex Smith is no longer the 49ers' best option at quarterback.…

With another physical win in a marquee matchup, 49ers show they own the Saints

Ricky Jean Francois chirped "Who Dat?!" to the crowd like a giddy teenager as he trotted off the field at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday. Anthony Dixon walked out of the locker room draped in more Mardi Gras beads than...

Defensive TDs propel 49ers over Saints

Defensive TDs propel 49ers over Saints NEW ORLEANS - The scheme came from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the execution was provided by outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks and the combination led to the game-turning play in the 49ers' 31-21 victory over t…

Game balls for the New Orleans Saints' loss to the San Francisco 49ers

Not surprisingly, two of the three game balls in the Saints' disappointing 31-21 loss to the 49ers Sunday go to San Francisco players. The Niners brought their toughness and attitude to the Superdome, and punched the Saints in the mouth...

Colin Kaepernick and a ferocious defense lead 49ers over Saints

The Colin Kaepernick era for the 49ers has officially begun, and the folks in San Francisco have to like what they see. Kaepernick, who has supplanted Alex Smith as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, had a solid game as the 49ers beat the Saints 31-21 in

Wrap-up: 49ers 31, Saints 21

Thoughts on the New Orleans Saints' 31-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday. What it means: The Saints fall to 5-6. You can’t erase them from the playoff picture just yet, but it’s getting dangerously close to th

New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers warm up before game

Whether it's stretching, signing autographs or talking game strategy with teammates, the pregame show on the field on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is always something to see. This Sunday, it was a chance to watch the New Orleans Saints and the...

New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers, live updates

New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers pregame chat

You have any questions leading up to the New Orleans Saints' high-profile matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome? Ask away in the comment section below and our staff will answer as many questions...

49ers confront Saints' porous defense

49ers confront Saints' porous defense [...] the Saints' defense ranks 32nd, dead last, in the NFL against the run entering Sunday's game against the visiting 49ers, who will arrive at the Superdome boasting the league's top rushing attack as measured by…

Feelin' the Brees: New Orleans Saints' offensive stats thru Game 11

Cardinals, 49ers adjust as injuries hit

NFC West teams have taken a couple tough injury hits this week. The Arizona Cardinals placed center Lyle Sendlein on injured reserve Tuesday morning. The San Francisco 49ers did the same with running back Kendall Hunter and receiver Kyle Williams later …

Ten more observations: New Orleans Saints not out of playoff picture

New Orleans Saints blow opportunity to move into sixth spot in NFC with loss to 49ers

It was all there for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday: the possibility of their first winning record of the season, the opportunity to exact revenge on the team that ended their season last year, the chance to control their...

Alex Smith, Brandon Jacobs active for 49ers

NEW ORLEANS -- The San Francisco 49ers' list of inactive players Sunday features two notable absences. Quarterback Alex Smith is active for the first time since suffering a concussion against St. Louis in Week 10. Running back Brandon Jacobs, a non-fact…